TEAS Reading: Inference and Critical Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage states: "By the time the rescuers arrived, the climbers had already built a snow shelter and were sharing the last of their rations." What can the reader infer about the climbers?
- They were inexperienced and panicked
- They were resourceful and prepared (Correct answer)
- They had given up hope of rescue
- They had plenty of supplies remaining
Correct answer: They were resourceful and prepared
Building a shelter and rationing food shows the climbers acted resourcefully and were prepared for survival.
Question 2: An author writes: "The new policy was praised in every press release the company issued." The phrase "every press release the company issued" suggests the author may be:
- Offering objective praise
- Hinting that the praise was self-serving (Correct answer)
- Quoting an independent reviewer
- Confirming the policy's success
Correct answer: Hinting that the praise was self-serving
Noting the praise came only from the company's own materials implies the approval was self-serving rather than independent.
Question 3: A character "checked the locks twice, then a third time, before finally sitting down." What is the most reasonable inference?
- The character is forgetful
- The character feels anxious or unsafe (Correct answer)
- The character is tired
- The character dislikes the house
Correct answer: The character feels anxious or unsafe
Repeatedly checking the locks implies anxiety or a feeling of being unsafe.
Question 4: Which statement is an inference rather than an explicit fact?
- The thermometer read 38 degrees Celsius
- The patient's temperature was elevated
- The patient must be fighting an infection (Correct answer)
- The nurse recorded the temperature at noon
Correct answer: The patient must be fighting an infection
Concluding the patient is fighting an infection goes beyond the stated data and is an inference.
Question 5: A passage describes a town where "shops closed early, streets emptied by dusk, and few new families had moved in for years." The author most likely wants the reader to conclude the town is:
- Thriving and growing
- In decline (Correct answer)
- Dangerous at night
- Strictly religious
Correct answer: In decline
Early closures, empty streets, and no new residents together imply a town in decline.
Question 6: An author states a claim and then writes, "Of course, no reasonable person would disagree." This phrasing is an example of:
- Statistical evidence
- An appeal that discourages questioning the claim (Correct answer)
- A neutral transition
- A direct citation
Correct answer: An appeal that discourages questioning the claim
Saying no reasonable person would disagree pressures readers to accept the claim without examining it.
Question 7: From "She slid the untouched plate away and stared out the window," the reader can best infer that the character:
- Was satisfied with the meal
- Had lost her appetite, likely from distress (Correct answer)
- Was waiting for someone to join her
- Disliked the restaurant's food
Correct answer: Had lost her appetite, likely from distress
Pushing away untouched food and staring away suggests distress that has taken her appetite.
TEAS Reading: Inference and Critical Analysis 2
A passage states: "By the time the rescuers arrived, the climbers had already built a snow shelter and were sharing the last of their rations." What can the reader infer about the climbers?